Untitled
by yume girl 91
Summary: They say that to meet someone three times is fate. Au StarkIchi.
1. Chapter 1

They say that to meet someone three times is fate.

~*~

The bookstore was unusually crowded for early morning. Pushing his way past giggling High school girls grouped around a central one, holding the latest Shojo manga; Ichigo Kurosaki, a conservatively dressed young man in a button down dress-shirt and loosened tie over jeans and loafers, made his way over to the last corner of the shop.

Here, less modern Library-bound tomes in crimson and gold lettering lined the shelves. _The Classics_, as the shop owner had fluttered to him. Shakespeare, Voltaire and though _he_ flushed faintly. Goethe and a few of his more infamous works. Erotic poems, check.

It didn't help either that on the other side... placed conveniently so that customers could browse discreetly without the general populace looking over their shoulder, the Kama Sutra books.

Ichigo had complained of this to Urahara, but the man had breezily brushed him aside, waving his omnipresent paper fan back and forth, saying _others liked their peace and quiet as well_.

Whatever that meant.

However, since it _was_ his favorite book store and the owner _was_ a family friend-sadly, Ichigo didn't feel the need to change any time soon. As was custom, he reached for a fairly new arrival, one he was saving up to add to his collection, when in the space it left behind, he could see straight into the next shelf on the other side. There a man had lifted out the neighboring title and was peering through back into Ichigo's face.

Almost immediately, he felt a slight flush darken his cheeks for no apparent reason.

The man looked to be about in his late twenties-maybe edging closer to thirty give or take. Had wavy dark brown hair parted in the middle, the tips ending chin-length. His jaw was squarish, his mouth on the thin yet sensual side, a faint goatee darkened his chin. _But his eyes_...

Abruptly Ichigo realized he was staring and forcibly jerked his gaze down to the book in his hands. Seeing but not seeing the price sticker on the bottom of the cover.

The man was still gazing at him. Drinking him in.

..._they were gray_.

Involuntarily, he looked again only to find the man had turned his attention back to the neglected book. Ichigo could just see, if he craned his head around the next title on the shelf, the name of the one the man had selected.

He nearly dropped _The old Arcadia_.

_The man was gay! _

A bare-chested buff Western cowboy graced the front.

_And the title...don't even go there_.

Ichigo hurriedly set down the book he had picked up, fairly flying to the front when he heard the man's footsteps coming around the corner.

_Oh, hell no! No matter how good-looking the man appeared to be, Ichigo wasn't gay!_

_And that certainly wasn't going to change anytime soon!_

~*~

Half an hour later, the mass transit bus came to a stop. Depositing him two stores down from a little coffee-shop tucked back from the busy promenade, promptly entitled Lilynette's cafe. The proprietor was a small, blond-haired female with a feisty temper and even better Lattes. She reminded him of his friend Rukia in a lot of ways.

In fact he was even willing to bet those two specimens of tomboyish womanhood would get along famously once they were introduced. _He really had to bring Rukia with him one of these days_...

The door to the coffee-shop swung open, the bell above tinkled faintly. All at once the smells of roasting coffee and brewing pots of the black stuff assaulted his nostrils like a heavenly aroma. The smell of Java. Making his way to the counter, he saw Lilynette herself, attired in a short-sleeve dress with an apron over, hassling one of her new Baristas, Loly-if his memory served correctly. One of his favorites, Neliel, a well-endowed woman with celadon hair and even prettier light green eyes, detached from the coffee machine to glide up to the counter, smiling in welcome.

Behind, Ichigo sensed another approaching, but gave no thought, answering Nel's _how are you doing_ and _how are your sisters?_ His dad had all but drawn up adoption documents for the orphaned woman whom he considered his fourth daughter-Rukia, the bitch, was his third, despite her still having her brother. Whom Ichigo had his suspicions about the man's orientation. Byakuya may act all high and mighty around his subordinate, but Renji had come out of his boss's office with something that looked like a hickey peeking out at the edge of his collar. Rukia denied it all of course.

Ichigo shuddered to imagine the scene which had caused such a mark to imprint itself on the redhead's neck. _Maybe all those tattoos were a turn on for Byakuya_.

He was taken out of his thoughts by Nel's address to the man hovering behind him.

"If you're looking for Lily, she's over there." Nel pointed out the small blond head tramping toward the register, a disgruntled look on her face. By instinct, Ichigo half-turned, glancing to encounter the gray-eyed man from before.

Swiftly he turned back around, his cheeks flaming.

_Dammit! he had been recognized!_

A faint smile had played on the man's mouth.

Sensing him move away, Ichigo was about to question Nel on the man's identity and Lilynette's obvious knowing of him as she had practically jumped into his arms at his approach. They were talking-well Lilynette was animatedly, but they were too far for Ichigo to hear what it was they were saying.

And as chance would have it, Nel had moved elsewhere, going out from behind the counter to attend to a customer at one of the tables near the window.

Ichigo sighed and glanced at the clock. _Shit! He'd have just enough time to make it to class if he hurried. Where had all the time gone?_

Barely pausing to wave off Nel and-his forgotten order, no latte for him today. Ichigo went out, not noticing the gray-eyed man and Lilynette pointing at his back, mouthing his name, "_Ichigo Kurosaki_."

~*~

The frail white-haired man coughed into his handkerchief, his smile bright to the assembled students. " As you well know, my health has been a hindrance to the Dean and to all of you. Therefore I would like to introduce to you, class, your new substitute teacher for this semester. Please come in," he gestured to the door. A man walked in, attired in a loose pin-striped shirt open at the throat, his slacks were navy and cuffed neatly brushing the tops of scuffed brown loafers.

Ukitake beamed at the man, then to the rest of the class, "I present, Stark Gingerback."

The man's gaze took in the thirty-odd students all staring intently back at him. His look was bored, his tone dry but polite as he spoke--that is until his eye alighted on the second row, five deep and the horrified gaze of Ichigo, attempting to disappear into his seat.

_The man was going to be his teacher! _

Stark Gingerback smiled.

And Ichigo felt his heart do a faint flip-flop like in the girly mangas.

~*~

If to meet someone three times in the space of two hours was what they called fate...then Ichigo was prepared to fight it all the way.

Especially since he absolutely refused to believe it was because the handsome man had looked straight at him and smiled that his heart had suddenly started racing.

~To be continued~

Disclaimer: don't own Bleach.

AN: I'm off to plant two pink Spider lily bulbs that mum's been bugging me about :p

Thanks for reading :)

No flames-haters-spammers-stupid comments!

Reviews appreciated :)


	2. Chapter 2

"Ichigo Kurosaki, is it?"

Ichigo refused to meet the man's stare directly. Ahead the other students--the lucky ones who hadn't been called up to the desk were filing out; Rukia had waggled her eyebrows at him, shouldering her expensive book bag, assuming probably that he had already gotten into trouble with the new sub.

Covertly he had shot a glare at her departing back. _Though at least..._

"You're doing very well." The man said, rifling through one of the folders on--what used to be Ukitake's desk. And was now _his_. Ichigo mumbled something noncommittally, hoping against hope that the man would make no inference to their previous-well they hadn't even spoken a word to one another--encounters.

_She hadn't guessed the truth_.

"You're fond of the old Masters-?"

No such luck. Ichigo hastily recalled the book he'd been holding at Urahara's store. Shoving his hands into pockets, he shrugged, "some of them are alright."

"Mm hmm," the man hummed, cradling a stapled six sheet dissertation on Shakespeare and his influence on other great works. Looking at it upside down, Ichigo recognized his own handwriting and felt himself blush to the roots of his hair. "What I mean to say is uh-I read all kinds of stuff. I don't hold it against anyone who reads you know..." catching a hint of the smile that curved the man's mouth, Ichigo could've slapped himself. _What the hell was he saying?! It was none of his business at all what the man read or didn't--_

"I read some of his works when I was your age." Stark Gingerback said softly, his light gray eyes skimming the pages.

"Oh?" Ichigo tried to pretend he wasn't curious, though he was...just a little. Okay more than a little. But he wouldn't let himself admit it. "Which ones?" he felt a little breathless, shooting the man a slight look. A sheaf of dark brown hair had slipped forward, the man didn't brush it aside, only continuing to _mm hmm_ in approval at various parts of the text he held.

"I'm sorry, I don't remember much about them." He finally looked up, meeting Ichigo's gaze with a smile. "I slept through most of the lectures and when it finally came time to read the actual Plays...I fell asleep halfway through."

"Oh, I see." The thing was, Ichigo didn't see. Didn't understand how anyone could fall asleep--

"That happens a lot," Stark Gingerback admitted. "Lily constantly berates me on it."

"How do you --"

"My, you two seem to be getting along well," unnoticed, Ukitake had approached, having finished gathering up the left behind papers from the students' places.

"It's not like that!" Ichigo exclaimed before realizing how ridiculous the denial sounded even before the white-haired man smiled understandingly, if not a little confusedly. "I'm glad to see one of my favorite students taking to my substitute so early on. Although it does make me a little sad that you might not want me back later on."

"That would never happen." Ichigo said loyally even as the Professor chuckled.

"You'll see," Ukitake moved past Gingerback, clapping him on the shoulder, "Stark here, has this way about him....can't explain it except maybe by Szayel's theory on the Law of Attraction. Stark just seems to be able to draw people to him...perhaps you've noticed it, Ichigo-kun?"

Ichigo knew Ukitake was half-kidding but couldn't suppress the flush suffusing his cheeks with a stripe of burning heat. "I er wouldn't know, sir." He could sense the other scrutinizing him closely. Maybe a little too closely for it to be simply amiability.

The frail man laughed again, waving cheerfully as he moved toward the doors, a binder retrieved from the drawer behind the desk in hand. "Well, I'm off! See you next semester!"

Ichigo smiled and waved back; _he was partial to Ukitake. He really would miss him_. Stark Gingerback was watching his face, commenting only when the door had closed behind Ukitake and they were alone. "Don't worry. I'm only here filling in on a favor for someone else. Jushiro's health will improve and he'll be back, I'm sure of it."

A little surprised yet heartened by the man's words, Ichigo sincerely said, "thank you, Professor Gingerback."

Again that smile, faint and if Ichigo wasn't sure he was totally mistaken, there was a hint of loneliness in it. "Not Professor Gingerback, it sounds too cold, formal. Just Stark." The smile made his heart race just a little bit faster and the tanned if not large tendony hand that Stark extended to him friendlily for a firm business-like shaking left Ichigo clinging on just a tad bit too long. His ears burned with this realization.

Thankfully Stark didn't seem to notice. "Since Ukitake left everything in perfect order, I don't have much to do right now that is terribly urgent. In recompense for keeping you from Lunch," tactfully he glanced down at the Relic watch that Ichigo hadn't noticed before on his left wrist. "Would you accompany me to this little place off campus? The Cafeteria doesn't tempt my appetite much and um..." Stark looked away a little hesitant. "I would very much appreciate your company."

_He was shy!_ Ichigo was struck nearly dumb by this sudden insight so that he didn't reply for a minute or two. Long enough for Stark to assume a negative response was forthcoming and possibly didn't wish to have to face it. "It's alright if you don't want to--" he began, his hand rising to brush back the hair that hung in his eyes.

"No!" Ichigo was surprised by the vehemence in his own tone. "I mean I'd like to..." he faltered under the weight of Stark's gray-eyed gaze returning to his face. "Er if uh you know it's okay..." for some reason he couldn't meet the man's eyes.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Stark seemed to find the notion foolish.

"I wouldn't want you to get in trouble or anything..." Ichigo muttered, trailing off, feeling ridiculous again.

"That girl--" Stark waved vaguely, "Kuchiki, I think. She's going out steady with Szayel and he teaches biology and nobody has said anything about--"

"That pink-haired nut?! I didn't know!" Ichigo burst out, unable to believe it; _she had never said a word about it_. _And they were supposed to be friends!_ To his surprise, Stark chuckled throatily at this description of the aforementioned man and infamous hair. "Yes, and I do think that might be his natural color."

Ichigo didn't ask how Stark knew that. "Well, if you say so..."

"It's fine, trust me." A slight wink, a languid closing of an eyelid over the gray.

His heart skipped a beat and his palms began to sweat in their respective places in the pockets of his jeans. Ichigo felt strange saying it, though just a while before he had been determined to keep his distance from the man and even longed for an excuse-any excuse not to loiter up at the desk when called up at the end of the period. _But maybe_...

"Shall we go?" His next class wasn't for another hour or two, so he had time to spare.

..._Ukitake's saying about the man and people being drawn to him were_...

Stark smiled, gathering up his briefcase from where it stood leaning against the chair side. "Sure," he unclasped it and Ichigo caught a glimpse of white plastic and the edge of a glossy paperback cover. _That book!_ _So he had bought it!_

_True_.

While Stark rifled through the contents of his case, Ichigo averted his face, determined not to appear the least bit interested and especially not let on that he had seen the purchase. A bag rattled and again he sensed Stark looking at him, "would you say this is a good book?"

Ichigo glanced and instantly felt his mouth go dry. For in Stark's hand and being held up for inspection, its cellophane wrapping pristine was _his_ book; The old Arcadia.

_Why would he buy it?! _

~To be continued~

AN: Thanks for reading :)

No flames-haters-idiotic spammers!

Reviews appreciated :)


End file.
